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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22520431">ガキ</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Danbored/pseuds/plethoraofemotions'>plethoraofemotions (Danbored)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Natsume Yuujinchou | Natsume's Book of Friends</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Age Regression/De-Aging, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Babysitting, Fluff, Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 11:08:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,345</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22520431</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Danbored/pseuds/plethoraofemotions</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When the Days Eater turns Natsume young again, what if Tanuma and Taki never appeared? What if Nyanko-sensei had no choice but to trust child Natsume in the hands of Natori Shuiichi?</p><p>POV Natori Shuiichi</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Natori Shuuichi &amp; Natsume Takashi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>270</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>ガキ</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
<i>I guess there's no choice. Let's go to that Natori brat's place...</i>
</p>
</blockquote><p>Natori didn't know what to expect when someone from outside kept buzzing his apartment. Especially since it was his day off. It was one of those rare days where Natori had a break from both his acting job and his excorcist job. He had left his shiki back at his main house, giving them their own well-deserved break.</p><p>So needless to say, it surprised him find out that it was Natsume who had come to visit him. Except, now that he was facing said boy, Natori's surprise had morphed into shock, then confusion, and then slight (internal) panic. Natsume had turned <i>tiny</i>. Natori knew well that Natsume was a child, but this Natsume was... a baby?</p><p>The cause was apparently a travelling tsukihigui that Natsume had helped. It had the ability to turn old into new and had turned back Natsume's time in order to repay his kindness. Natori observed the young Natsume's features as the cat helpfully filled him in on the situation. Unlike the Natsume he knew, this one was less feistier and more soft-spoken, and his eyes did not show the same kindness that they usually did. Instead they were filled with wariness and anxioiusness. Not to mention, the child looked uncomfortable sitting in his apartment and had tried to make himself as small as possible, as if he felt that he did not belong here.</p><p>"This idiot lost his memories alongside his age," the cat continued to explain. "If the ayakashi in the area find out about this, things are going to become troublesome. I'm going to go look for the tsukihigui and get him to change Natsume back. That's why I need your help to babysit."</p><p>Natori shifted his gaze from Natsume to the cat, plastering on a dazzling smile. "Leave it to me, I promise to take good care of our Natsume."</p><p>The cat stared briefly at Natori with doubtful look as he replied, "Hmph! I don't expect much from you, but at least I know you will make sure that the kid won't die." With that, Natsume's bodyguard left out through the window.</p><p>A beat of silence. Natori turned back to Natsume, whose previously contemplative expression had changed into one that was mature for his age, one with a determination that Natori recognized from the Natsume that he knew.</p><p>"Is there anything I can do to help? This is my fault, and I don't want to trouble you Natori-san. I'm sure that there is something that I could do," the young Natsume asked resolutely.</p><p>"I don't think of you as a burden at all. You don't need to worry about it," Natori admonished.</p><p>"But-"</p><p>"The cat already said he was going to do all the work, didn't he? All you need to do is be a good boy and wait. He may look like that, but you can trust that tanuki."</p><p>"... Okay..."</p><p>Natori softened at Child Natsume's words and reached out to pat the boy's head gently. He watched Natsume's reaction closely to make sure that his actions did not scare him away. Truthfully, Natori had no idea how to handle a child. Often, he felt that one of the reasons he got along so well with Natsume was because he always behaved so maturely. Natori would sometimes be reminded suddenly that Natsume was just a high school kid who was experiencing peak of his youth.</p><p>It made Natori a little guilty for dragging the boy into the excorcist business. Perhaps normalcy was lost on him because Natori himself never experienced a regular childhood. He only knew of ayakashi and excorcism, and never about spending time with friends. In fact, Natsume was his first friend. And the more they got to know each other, the more Natori wanted to also become one of the friends that Natsume could rely on.</p><p>"So Natsume, could you tell me how much you remember?" Natori asked gently.</p><p>"I don't know... It's like my mind is completely blank, but I feel like my body has become too light. There is <i>something</i> that doesn't feel right, but I can't tell what that something is." He paused, hesitant. "The tanuki ghost said that I'm actually a high school student, but I find that hard to believe... Even though it was a youkai that did this.." he trailed off.</p><p>Natori sighed, "Well in the meantime, how about we do something together? Ah, since it's almost dinner time, how about we cook something? What do you like to eat Natsume?" <i>What do children his age even eat? Milk? Even as a child, Natsume is skinny as ever. I should probably feed him some meat.</i></p><p>"It's alright, i-it's not like I'm hungry so-" Child Natsume was interrupted by an obnoxious growl from his stomach.</p><p>An awkward silence filled the room as the two stared at each other. Child Natsume flushed, his cheeks growing warmer with each passing second. Then, Natori started chuckling to himself. As his laughter died down, Natori hauled himself up before extending a hand to help Natsume stand up as well.</p><p>"C'mon Natsume, let's go get ourselves something to eat. Why don't you help me cook?"</p><p>Natsume eyed that hand, gaze flickering up to look at Natori, before tentatively reaching out to grab it. He nodded shyly, his hand small and fragile gripping onto Natori's. Somehow, Natori could tell that his request made Natsume happy. Together, they washed and prepared ingredients for their dinner. Natori made sure to keep a careful eye on Natsume as he earnestly worked to complete his assigned tasks.</p><p>Natori tried to keep a conversation going, but he soon ran out of topics to discuss with the young child. Then the kid had inquired about the moving gecko with a concerned tone, so Natori reassured him that it was harmless. A déjà-vu of Natsume's high school self, Natori glimpsed a smile on the young child when the gecko wrapped itself around his wrist. After that, Natori took it upon himself to cook the food. He told Natsume that he was free to watch TV, and the kid had nodded his head before scurrying out of the kitchen.</p><p>Finally, as the sun began to set in the sky, dinner was served.</p><p>"You don't have to hold back. Just eat to your heart's content and say 'It's delicious', understood?" Natori emphasized.</p><p>"Thank you for the food." An uncertain smile bloomed on the young Natsume's face, as though he could not believe that he was allowed to do as he liked. He dug into his food, and continued to eat with Natori's encouragement.</p><p>"Here, have some more meat. You need to grow some muscle."</p><p>"Thank you. It's delicious, Natori-san."</p><p>Watching the kid eat gave Natori an inexplicable satisfaction. He felt good to see such a malnourished kid eat so heartily, and hoped that with this, he could grow to be healthy and strong.</p><p>After their meal, they sat on the couch together to finish the movie that Natsume had been watching while Natori had been cooking. Eventually, Natsume fell asleep snuggled against Natori's side. It was cute: he already looked ethereal with his silver hair and light green eyes, but asleep, Natsume looked like an angel. But when Natori saw this, he thought that a child might catch a cold if he slept like this, and decided to go grab a blanket. Unfortunately, he had to gently move the child without waking him so that he could get up. Almost regretfully, Natori left the comfort of the couch as he switched off the TV.</p><p>When he returned moments later, Natori was met with the sight of a bigger Natsume hugging an ugly cat as they slept peacefully. Natori smiled gently at the sight, covering the duo with the blanket. Looking at the sleeping boy, he couldn't help but think that even now that he was back to normal, Natsume was still a child.</p><p>And Natori decided that this was a child that he would go to great lengths in order to protect.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm not so good at writing dialogue, and I feel that there are a lot of things that I brushed over without mention. But I rest my case: Natsume Takashi is a precious child and needs to be protected. He never had a proper childhood, smh (I shed <b>tears</b> when I read chapter 78).</p></blockquote></div></div>
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